Ringing and listening key



A.- KLAY.

.RINGING AND LISTENING KEY.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. I915.

Patented- Mar. 9, 1920.

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I Emma- H Z5252"? 1 175 fifiorn UNITED STATES PATENT ornion. T

ALBERT KLAY, orcHIcAco, inLmorsassrenon To KELLOGG swrrcnisonan Ann 1 SUPPLY COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A coaronnrron or ILLINOIS.

' To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALnnnrKLAY, a citi zen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ringing and Listen-' ing Keys, of which the following is a 'speci fication.

My invention relates to an operators key or switch for use particularly iii-telephone switchboards and has for its: object the provision of an improved key or switchof the kind described. The keys now in general use in connection with telephone apparatus are either of the double throw type or of the single throw type, that is they are arranged to be operated intwo directionson in one direction only according to the functions which they have to perform, they may be further divided into the self restoring andself-locking type according to whether they automatically return to normal from an intermediate 'ofi' -normal position or whether they look in an operated position. To accomplish the above operations keys are generally provided with differently formed actuating or cam members, the cams being so constructed as to permit thekey to be operated in twodirections or in one direotion only, and to lock in an operated position or to automatically restore to normal. Keys of the above type are objectionable for the reason that it is necessary to provide many differently constructed keys and also for the reason thatit is necessary to change the entire key if it is desired to change the functions of keys already in operation; To

overcome this objection, I provide a stand ardcam for all different functioned keys but in addition I provide anadjustablestop member so that the key may be instantly changed to perform any desired function.

Another feature of my invention is the provision of an alinement strip which is inand economical manner; and tothis object and such other objects asxalready pointed out and as may appear, my inventionfconsists' in the novelfldetails of construction,

nIneIivs A-nn Lemm s KEY. j

described and particularly pointed out in the appended" claims, reference'being had to -Specificati'on0f Letters Patent. Patented 9, 1920 Application filed June 23, 1915'. arm. 35,770. V v

the accompanying drawing in which like parts in the different figures bear the same reference numerals, and in which:

Figure 1 1s a side vlew in elevation of the preferred form of my invention; l

Fig. 2 is av right end view of Fig. 1; f Fig.3 is a'plan view of Fig. 1;

"Fig; t is a sectional view along the line of Fig. 1;. I Fig. 5 is a sectional view 5 -5'of Fig. 2; s

'Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the frame upon which the several key parts are'mounted; and a along the line direction;

perspective view of the adjust- -able stop;

Fig. 8 shows the stop mounted in a posi- Fig. 9 shows one of the insulating strips usedto's'eparate thesprings. I r V Referring now mor'e'in detail to my 'in- ,VGIltlOIl. asillustrated, the preferred form whichis suitably fastened to the escutcheon contact springs, comprises a pivoted body orv cam 4 plvotally supported in the frame 1 at the points5 and 6 by the pivot pin 7. The body 4; is" semi-circularly shaped and extends through an opening 8 in the escutcheon QJ- A lever oruhan le 10 of suitable insulating material is provided with a stud '80 of my'key comprises a T-shaped frame '1,

plate2 by means ofthe screws 3. An actuatnrg member- A, for actuat ng the various which has. screw-threaded engagement with the upper portion of the cam 4. I also provide steps 11, i2 which'are integral with the cam 4 the said stops 11 an'd12 engaging the adjustable Istop 32 Orr-the escutcheon plate, dependingupon the'position that the key is to be moved to." Theoperation of the cam 4 in conjunction with the'adjustable stops, will be hereinafter morefullyrdescribed.

." Mounted upon: the lower end of thecam 4t are'the rollers 13 and 14, of suitable insulating materiahrotatably secured thereto and positioned betweenlthe free endsof the pairs of springs 15', 15 and'18, 18 The rollers 13 and 14 as beforementionedpare rotatably mounted upon the shaft -2Q,"-an d shaped and mounted upon the arms 33 or place upon the frame 1.

are held in position upon the shaft by a nut 21 which has screw-threaded engagementwith the shaft 20.

V For the purpose of illustrating my inven- 131011, I show four setsaof springs secured to the mounting frame 1. I also provide a pair of spacing'strips 23 and 2a which form the'insulation means between the springs '15, 15 and 17, 1 7- and the frame 1. Formed integrally withthe strips 23 and 24; and at right angles thereto, are the alinement spacing strips 25 and 26. The said alinement strip 25 separates the two sets of springs v15, 16 and 16 and the alinement strip 26 separates the two sets of springs 17, 18, 1'9 and 17 18 19 The springs 15and 16, etc, and 17, 18, 19, etc.,

are securely mounted onthe frame 1- by means of suitable insulated screws 27, the

. screws passing through suitable openings 29 in the frame 1 and nuts 28 having screwthreadedengagement with the screws 27 thus securely holding thespring sets in The alinement strips and 26 are inserted between the two sets 15, 16 and 15 ,16 and'l't', 18, 19

and 17 18 and 1-9 for-keeping them-in:

having. screw-threaded engagement with the screws 3, the said screws also holding the frame l to the escutcheon plate 2.; With the stop'in the positlon as shown in Fig. 2,

should the lever 10 bemoved to the left,- [the movement of the cam and lever would be limited-by the stop 12 of the cam 4 engaging the surface 82 of the stop 32. The

rollers 13 and 14 engage the springs 18, 18 causing the said springs to be moved so as to disengage the contacts 17 and 17 and engage the contacts 19, 19 and whenthus actuated the key is self-restoring, and when the "pres-- sure upon the lever 10 is released, it is restored to normal by the moved springs 18, 18 Now it the key is to. be arranged. so that cam can be actuated in one direction,

I the stop 32 is placed in theposition shown in'Fig. 8, so that the stop 12 of the cam-4:

will engage the surface 32 of the stop 32,

thus preventing actuation ofthe key in one direction If no stop is provided to limit *the movement of the key to the right, an

actuation of, the'sai'd lever will cause the rollersfl3' and 14 to engage. the angular surface of the {springs 15,115 "flexing-them ever it is found desirable and retaining them in an alternate position causing the said springs 15 and 15 to en gage the contact springs 16, 16 v and when thus actuated the key is. in an indicating position and can only bereturned to normal by operating the'lever, in the opposite direction.

"In Fig. 9 I have shown one of the insulat-V V ing strips that holds the contact springs separated. I preferably slope the upper surface 35 of the strip 36so that any small particle that might accidentally fall between the springs and tend to short circuit them, will readily slide out and be conveyed away from contact with the springs. I have found this a-very desirable feature in the commercial operation of keys. The separatingstrips25. and 26 are beveled off in the same manner. Should 1t at any time be found necessary to change the function of the key it is only necessary to-remove the canistop or to reverse its position depending upon the-function of the key that is desired. From thetoregomg, it is seen that I proyide a key that may be readily changed from a one-way key to av two-way key or vice versa, and which may be changed i'rom a selfrrestoring to .a self-locking or indicating key or vice versa, .depending'upon the desired operation of the key, thus doing away with the necessity ofchanging keys when to change the switchboard circuits.

While I have described my invention embodying one form, I do not wish to be limited to the same as my invention may. be i adaptedto other forms of keys as illustrated and many changes and modif cations can be made without departing from theinvention,

therefore I aimto. coverall such modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the a pended claims. g i

Having described my invention, what I claimras new-land desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is

posed sets of-contact springs secured to opposite sides of said mounting plate, a rocking cam pivot-ally secured to said mounting plate for actuating said contact springs, said cam having a normal and operated and in' tei'inediate oil-normal, positions, integrallyformcd ears for said cam adapted to engage said escutcheon plate to limit tl operation of said cam, and a U-shaped member adapted to besecured to said mounting plate in such a manner as to preventthe said cam from beinginoved from its. normal to one of its intermediate l or operated Toff-normal posi tions, said U.-shaped member also being;

adapted to be secured to said mounting ineia. her. in a different manner to prevent said cam am being moved'paist one eras inter 1.. An operator's key including a mounting plate, an escutcheon plate to which said mounting plate is secured, vertically d smediate off-normal positions to one of its operated off-normal positions.

2. An operators keyincluding an escutcheon plate, a vertically disposed mounting plate secured at right angles to said es cutcheon, sets of contact springs secured to opposite sides of said mounting plate, acam member pivotally secured to said mounting plate for actuating said contact springs, said cam member being provided with integrally formed ears for limiting the operation thereof, and an auxillary device adapted to be secured to said mounting plate in the path of movement of one of said ears for further limiting the operation of said cam or for completely preventing the oper: ation of said cam in said direction, depend ing upon the manner in which said device is attached.

mounting plate provided with a bifurcated end portion, an escutcheon plate to which said mounting plate is secured, a plurality of sets of vertically disposed switch contact springs mounted upon opposite sides of said mounting plate, a cam member for operating said springs and adapted to be moved ineither of'two directions and to remain in an operated position after a set of springs has been operated, and a metal strip adapted to be attached to said mounting plate in the path of movement of saidcain to prevent the cam from being moved from its normal posi-v 7 of lugs or ears upon saidcam member beneath said escutcheon plate, the operation of said cam being limited by the engagement of said lugs or ear with the said escutcheon plate, and a member for attachment to said mounting plate in the path of movement of one of said lugs to prevent the cam member from being moved from its normal position, said plate also bein adapted to be attached to said mounting plate in the path of movement of saidlugto prevent the movement of said cam past an intermediate oil-normal position to the position where the lug engages the escutcheon plate.

5. A'device of the character described in- 0. An operators key including a T-shaped eluding a plurality of parallel sets of contact springs, strips of insulating material between the contact springs of the different sets andbetween the different sets of contact springs, said strips of insulating maany foreign matter away from between said sprmgs. I '6. A device of the character,described comprising a mounting member, a plurality of related contact springs secured to said member, strips of insulating material between said springs to insulate one fromjthe other, said stripsof insulating material each having an oblique surface to discharge any ,artlcle of foreign mater al that may accidentally fall between said springs.

. 'TLA device including a mounting memher, a plurality of sets of parallel vertically mounted contact springs" secured to said member, a strip of insulating material vertically mounted between adjacent sets of said contact springs, each of said strips of insulating materlal having a sloping edge extending away from said mounting member to prevent foreign material from becoming lodged between said sets of contact springs. 8. A device including a plurality of sets of contact springs, strips of insulating material betweenthe said sets of springs, said str ps of insulating material having oblique surfaces to dlscharge any foreign matter "teria-l having abeveled' portion to conduct that may fall between the said sets of springs. y

9. A device of the character described including a mounting member, a set of Contact springs secured to said mounting member,

strips of insulating material mounted be tween the different springs of the set, said strips of insulating material being provided with sloping edges to prevent foreign material from becoming lodged between said springs. 1 T 10. A device of the characterdescribed including a mounting plate, two sets of contact springs secured to said plate, stripsof insulating material. between the contact springs of the different 'sets and between I the difl'erent sets of contact springs, said strips of insulating material having beveled edges to conduct any foreign matter away from between the springs of the sets of Signed by me at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, inthe presence ,of'twowitnesses.

springs and between the two sets of springs. 

